Sailing Magazine Content !

[Nostrodamus]

It seems as though you can pick up several sailing magazines printed in the same month and the content is pretty much the same.
What is worse the same stories and ideas seem to be re used every year, ie winter lay up, re commissioning etc.
You cannot see the photo on the cover for adverts and writing.
Lets give them some fresh ideas.
What would you like to see in a sailing magazine?

[SaucySailoress]

Not a lot really - that's why I use the internet now!

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by Nostrodamus

You cannot see the photo on the cover for adverts and writing.

Averts and editorial marketing is what brings revenue in and "he who pays the piper" principle dictates content. This is likely to become more of a factor as magizens move on line and sales revenue declines as a percentage of gross revenue.

[boatman61]

LOL..... sounds like Practical Boat Owner... every year the same old stuff by the same people... basically how to turn old to new.. or over technical analysis that could be copied out of any sailing manual... its cheap.. and like paper charts just needs a quick check and update once a year...
Don't mind the ad's.. I have used them often.. Chandlery etc..
What I would like to see is more Libby Purvis, Fatty Goodlander etc... people actually out there doing it...
Our own MarkJ for example... Australia's answer to Fatty....
not dry tomes from some archives..
Thats why I used to buy them on impulse... for the funny, informative stories that one can relate to.. and stirs the memories...
Folk can get the techy stuff easier and free online.. they should go back more to entertaining...

[sailorboy1]

Content.... content............don't be talking about content!


Please see earlier threads I started as I LOVE the content of the sailing mags!

[meuritt]

I enjoy the how to, informative articles, about any boating related topic. Reviews of boats, not at all. Exotic destinations, no, but real cruises, especially weekends away by people with boats and abilities like me, are fun tor ead.

Sea Kayaker magazine has had a series of articles over the years of things that went wrong, the whole story, endings, and some end in death, and the analysis of where things started going wrong and lessons learned. I think they have helped make kayaking a safer sport. A regular series like that for keel boats would be great.

New products reviews, particularly electronic, but that is handled pretty well on panbo.

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by meuritt

Sea Kayaker magazine has had a series of articles over the years of things that went wrong, the whole story, endings, and some end in death, and the analysis of where things started going wrong and lessons learned. I think they have helped make kayaking a safer sport. A regular series like that for keel boats would be great.

.

Careful, uncle don may hear

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

Not a lot really - that's why I use the internet now!

When we bought a steel cutter with the intention of going offshore for some time, I lost interest in the glossy sailing magazines. I read Ocean Navigator,(still) Practical Sailor and occasionally the British Practical Boat Owner, because they are more suited to providing the information I require. Other magazines are more about lifestyle and marketing, in my mind. Which is fine, I suppose, but to me, it's like calling an appetizer a meal.

[David M]

Latitude 38 and the trade magazines are the only ones that work for me. You are correct in that the rest of them are repetitious.

Most sailing and boating magazines are limited in what they can say in order to not bite the hand that feeds them. They will say all good things about a boat and then throw in one or two negative things, maybe, in order to appear unbiased. It gets old and has caused me to not renew a few subscriptions. Reviews about places are more worthwhile than the boat or equipment reviews. Most ports of destination are not also advertisers.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by David M

Latitude 38 and the trade magazines are the only ones that work for me. You are correct in that the rest of them are repetitious.

Most sailing and boating magazines are limited in what they can say in order to not bite the hand that feeds them. They will say all good things about a boat and then throw in one or two negative things, maybe, in order to appear unbiased. It gets old and has caused me to not renew a few subscriptions.

No-advertising magazines have an advantage in that they can call it as they see it, for better or worse. But they have minimal income and that hurts.

News of new boats intersts me very little. I buy a few mags and go to a boat show now and then. But it's easier to find stuff and info on-line.

As for stories, I have a number of blogs I follow by folks that are out there cruising. Many can't tell a story, but some are very good. It just takes time to find the capable writers. There are many.

How-to-sail info is tough in a magazine; there are so many good books on the subject, and little changes. They have to find tid-bits that are little known, but often they pitch too much to the beginer, probably because they suscribe!

It's a tough time to be in publishing.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by thinwater

It's a tough time to be in publishing.

It is when you are trying to make a living from horse drawn transport - whilst grumbling about all those damned automobiles.......whizzing past .

The Future is here - suck it up .

[SteveT]

I'd go with DOJ on this one. I have not bought a sailing magazine for ages as there is little in them to draw my attention. Unless I win the lotto I won't be changing boats, the reviews of kit / places etc are easy to find on line and usually more up to date. The most informative and useful bits I find are the small ads at the back. (NOT the personals!) You often find just the right contact for whatever unforeseen boat part needs TLC.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

It is when you are trying to make a living from horse drawn transport - whilst grumbling about all those damned automobiles.......whizzing past .

The Future is here - suck it up .

Yup that's kind of what I meant. The internet provides a LOT for free (we're here, no?) and so publishing has to provide something we can't find:

• Better accuracy. Though not always, magazines and books receive more technical and editorial review than internet chat. The internet requires more fact checking.
• Better depth. Research things few individuals have the resources, expertise, or persistence to chase. We're not all "Mainesail", and even those that do studies are not strong in all areas. I chase chemistry and rigging but don't care much about electronics or wax.
• Better writing. But some blog writers are very good. Some less so.

Or go home.

[Amapola]

By the number of ads in boating mags they should give them away.

[msponer]

I really like Good Old Boat. I like Bob Perry's monthly column on boat design and the down to Earth articles on how to fix things yourself.

I like Practical Sailor, but canceled my subscription when they turned off subscribers free online access to back issues. I'm not sure what their idea is, that people will keep old issues of Practical Sailor in a box and then go searching through the box whenever they want to buy something, looking for an issue that might have a relevant review. These days my first and last step is the Internet.